


Hellions #3

by Commander_Ferro



Series: Posthumanity [3]
Category: Marvel (Comics)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-24 10:29:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16638218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Commander_Ferro/pseuds/Commander_Ferro
Summary: The Hellions are sent on their first assassination mission.  A group of Hellions begins to take a dangerous path.





	Hellions #3

Five members of the Hellions stood outside of a Roxxon Oil facility, or at least one of its business facilities. They were on a field mission, the first of its kind, the whole reason they'd been created: assassination.  
Bevatron closed his eyes and concentrated. He could sense and manipulate bio-electric energy. All living things emitted it and he was trying to discern if anyone were close enough to disturb them.  
“I don’t feel anything nearby,” said Bevatron. “Catseye?”  
“Nah, nothing close,” Catseye replied. “Should go closer to prey.”  
Tarot sighed, looking at one of her tarot cards. She could bring the images on her cards to life but also used them get a general sense of the future. Like all tarot card readings, interpretation could sometimes be difficult. In this case, she felt an impending danger.  
“Not yet, I think,” said Tarot. “Something is amiss.”  
“Like what,” Flex asked.  
“Like me,” said a voice from above.  
The five Hellions looked up to see a man floating in the air, winds holding him aloft.  
“Winds hid his scent,” Catseye remarked.  
“Yes,” Bevatron agreed. “His energy signature as well. I must account for that in the future.”  
“Who are you,” asked Firestar.  
“Shouldn’t that be my question,” the man asked. “After all, you’re the ones sneaking into a private facility in the middle of the night.”  
“A facility guarded by a posthuman,” said Flex. “Rather curious, isn’t it?”  
“That’s really none of your business,” the man replied. “You can tell ‘em it was Windshear who took you down.”  
A blast of wind hit the five of them like bricks. Flex tried to use his powers to bend away from the wind but still found himself on his back. It was Firestar who proved most effective. Her microwave energy acted almost like a shield. It greatly lessened the impact of the wind.  
That was was just the distraction Catseye. She leapt into the air, claws fully extended, and raked Windshear’s chest. His costume served as some protection but Catseye still drew blood. The attack took Windshear off-guard and the winds came to a halt.  
Free to act, Bevatron fired off blasts of bio-electric energy at his foe. Firestar followed suit, which started to take its toll on the man. While on the ground, Tarot summoned something from her deck. A pale woman dressed in black robes appeared. She carried a sword in one hand. She swung her weapon and sliced into Windshear’s arm, severing it completely. Despite being there to assassinate another person, this still came as a shock to most of them.  
“Begone,” Tarot shouted. The Reaper vanished and Tarot dropped the now blank card to the ground.  
“Is he dead,” Firestar asked.  
Catseye approached Windshear. She looked on dispassionately as blood gushed from his wounds. It was obvious that the man was going to die a slow and agonizing death. Making a decision, Catseye slashed his neck, killing him instantly.  
“Mercy kill,” was all she said.  
“I hope he didn’t have a family,” said Flex. “If he had children…”  
Having recently lost his own family, Flex’s mind immediately focused on that aspect. It momentarily made him look focus until Bevatron began talking.  
“We had better go,” said Bevatron. “We are here to assassinate Bradley Fenton. His lackey was an unexpected addition.”  
Tarot glanced at Catseye and shivered when she saw the other licking the blood clean from her paws. At times she was unsure as to whether Catseye was more cat than human.  
“Bevatron’s right,” said Flex. “We’ve got a target. He may wonder why Windshear hasn’t reported in. If we linger there might be even more blood on our hands. We should get in and out quickly to avoid it.”  
The Hellions made their way into the building and toward Fenton’s office. There was no resistance, which was strange. Even if no one knew they were present, standard security should have been present.  
Opening the door to Fenton’s office, the first thing they noticed was a woman with stark white skin. She was dressed in black, rosary beads and a cross hanging from her neck. A black patch, apparently an aberration in her skin, covered her left eye.  
“I should tell you,” said Bevatron. “That we have just killed one of your super-powered guards. Stand aside and you will come to no harm.”  
The woman smiled.  
“I actually wanted to thank you for taking out Windshear,” she said. “It made it so much easier for me to sneak in here. Things always do seem to fall into place for me.”  
Stepping aside, Bradley Fenton was revealed. A knife was protruding from his neck. He was clearly dead.  
“You killed him” said Firestar.  
“Yes. I am curious to know who would send five posthuman teenagers on an assassination mission.”  
“That remains our business,” Tarot replied. “I think now we must depart.”  
“Good idea. Do you go by any special name?”  
“Hellions,” Catseye said.  
The woman nodded her head.  
“You can tell your bosses that Domino beat you to the punch. I’m sure they’ll figure out who I am anyway. Now go before anyone else shows up.

Back at the Massachusetts Academy, the five Hellions were being debriefed on their mission.  
“I am, for the most part, pleased with your performances,” said Emma Frost. “Despite being caught off-guard by your opponent your training took over and you were able to overcome him. Angelica, your quick thinking saved the team. You have come very far since first coming to the Academy. Sharon, your decision to be merciful to a man dying slowly was a good one. It was quick and clean, also taking out a potentially future threat. Fabian, your leadership in the field was superb. You kept your team on track and held them together when needed. Mark, I understand your feelings about the man and am pleased that you didn’t let it get in the way of your mission. Marie-Ange, your reading was quite accurate. You saw what the others could not sense. We will have to work to get more concise readings with more lead time. However, you must learn to control your creations. Though it proved effective it was clear to me that you were not directing it.”  
Marie-Ange cringed. “I apologize,” she said meekly, expecting to be punished.  
Instead, Emma walked to the girl and cupped her chin in her hand, smiling.  
“You need not worry, dear,” Frost said. “This was the first time any of you have been in the field. You performed very well.”  
Mark smiled at Angelica, giving her a wink. Angelica offered a small smile in return but it was obvious that she was happy to have been commended by Ms. Frost.  
“Now, we can discuss the problems,” Frost said. “This Windshear was able to sneak up on you. Fabian, I am pleased that you realized you had not searched completely but it cannot happen again. That could cost you your life and the lives of your teammates. I know these are dangerous missions but believe me when I say that I do not want any of you to come to harm.”  
Weak smiles came from Mark, Angelica and Marie-Ange. They had all been on the wrong end of Frost’s displeasure at some point or other in the past. It wasn’t fun having your mind reamed for it.  
Frost, though fully aware of the thoughts of her students, continued. She had liked that they still feared her, even if she had no intention of punishing them that night, at least not at this time.  
“There was also the problem of Domino,” Frost resumed. “I have discovered that she is a mercenary, formerly a member of the Wild Pack. She is frequently employed by the United States government for special missions they can disavow. Her look suggests she is posthuman but no data confirms it. Based on her words, she may subconsciously alter probabilities to give her the equivalent of good luck. Domino is extremely dangerous and you may encounter her again. She appears to have liked the five of you but I would have preferred you hadn’t mentioned you were Hellions. The upside to that is that the name might spread to the right people, causing them to fear the name and to potentially seek out our services. However, I am considering having a telepath present for all missions.”  
“It had better not be Tyler Dayspring,” said Fabian.  
“While I am aware of the animosity between you and some of the other boys, realize that you may have to work with any of them on any given mission. However, I will keep that in mind when assembling teams. Otherwise, I urge you to work this out in the Combat Room. It might help you deal with your aggression.”  
Sharon stifled a yawn. It was getting close to dawn.  
“You have had a long night. I want to congratulate you on a well-done mission. It’s clear you would have completed it had Domino not done so first. Now go take your showers and return to your rooms for some well-deserved rest.”

In the boys locker room, Mark and Fabian undressed and got into the shower. Showerheads lined the wall but they chose two next to one another – or, actually, Fabian chose the shower next to Mark.  
“That was so gross,” said Mark. “I’m not sure if it was more disgusting when that thing tore off the guy’s arm or when Sharon slit his throat.”  
“We were trained to do it,” said Fabian. “And paid as well.”  
“It made me nauseous. At least no one raped the corpse.”  
Fabian grew very quiet. He was remembering what had happened a month earlier. Sometimes he still felt guilt, even knowing he wasn’t responsible. In part it was also because Mark didn’t know what had occurred.  
“I have to tell you something,” said Fabian.  
Mark turned off his shower, heading out of the room to his locker. Fabian followed suit.  
“Did you hear me,” Fabian asked.  
“Yes,” Mark responded. “What is it?”  
Watching Mark towel off was a distraction. Fabian had to force himself to turn away lest he become aroused. There was no doubting that feelings toward Mark had been awakened.  
“Last month when you were… high…”  
“Yeah?”  
“You were nearly raped. By me.”  
Mark’s head popped up and an angry look settled on his face.  
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”  
“I destroyed the PHX tabs you were taking but a vapor escaped.”  
“And that made you almost rape me?”  
“No, not entirely. Manuel, Tyler and Christopher all combined their powers to enhance the arousal the vapor instilled. Had Kitty not come in I fear I would have forced myself on you. I had already started but there was no… no penetration.”  
Mark still looked angry.  
“Why am I just hearing this now?”  
“Kitty did not wish you to become embarrassed and made me promise to say nothing. However, I have been feeling guilty ever since.”  
Mark began to put on his clothes. He wasn’t completely dry, and his hair was still wet, but he felt the need to cover up.  
“What did you do to me?”  
“I… I touched you, caressed your body. When Kitty walked in I had… it… in my hand.”  
“Shit.”  
“I’m sorry--”  
“I’ll see you back at the room.”  
Mark walked away without another word.

Meanwhile, in the girls locker room, Angelica was seeking to understand Sharon.  
“Damn,” Sharon said. “I thought I had all the blood out but there’s still some under my nails.”  
“How could you do that,” Angelica asked. “You slit his throat so easily.”  
“Would you rather he slowly bled to death,” Sharon asked. “He was in a lot of pain and I could sense death in his scent. He would have died no matter what but had I left him alone it would have been agony. Personally, I wouldn’t have chosen to kill him if he weren’t already dying. I think defeating him and killing his boss would have been effective enough. Our enemy would know we could have killed him but chose not to – even though we’re obviously not afraid to do so.”  
“I am sorry,” Marie-Ange cried out. “I didn’t mean to do it! I had thought my creature would simply knock him unconscious!”  
“Oh, Marie-Ange,” said Angelica. “I know. Really, I know you didn’t mean to do it. It’s just… I guess it’s like Ms. Frost said. You need to figure out how to make them do what you want.”   
“I cannot blame Sharon for her actions. As she said, it was a mercy to kill him after… after what I had done.”  
“I know you all think I’m cold and cruel as Catseye,” Sharon began. “But that's not really true. I know exactly what I’m doing. It’s just a matter of whether or not I allow my feral instincts to take over or not – but it is a choice. Don’t judge me as an animal like my parents did.”  
The three girls hugged and apologized profusely to one another. An understanding, if not a true bonding, was formed among them. They would have to find some way to cope with their actions and this would help.

A limousine pulled up to the Hancock House. From out of it came two attractive teenagers accompanied by two men. Emma Frost exited the building to greet the newcomers. She hugged the two men as though they were old friends, a side to her very rarely seen. Frost then turned her attention to the teenagers, a boy and a girl. Smiling warmly, Frost put her arms around their shoulders and ushered them inside.  
After checking the two in, Emma personally escorted each of them to their dormitories. The first stop was the girls’ dorm. The boy had to wait outside until their return since mixing was discouraged except under special circumstances.  
“Girls,” Emma called out, both verbally and telepathically. “We have a new student I would like you to meet.”  
Slowly, fourteen girls emerged into the hallway, five of them the identical Stepford Cuckoos.  
“Girls, I would like you to meet Mercedes Ross-Stanton. She and her brother Adam, who you will also meet shortly, are new students. I am a personal friend of their fathers so do make them feel welcome.”  
Jenny Stavros, Roulette, approached Mercedes with a smile.  
“Welcome, Mercedes,” she said. “My name is Jenny. I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”  
“Thank you,” said Mercedes in a crisp British accent.  
“Sounds like trouble,” Illyana Rasputin whispered to Kitty Pryde. “The last thing we need is another Frost toady.”  
“Let’s get to know her first,” Kitty replied. “Besides, I’m on Frost’s good side and you trust me, right?”  
Illyana said nothing but didn’t look very happy. Nevertheless, when Mercedes looked her way, she was wearing a cheerful, welcome smile. If nothing else, Illyana had learned to put forward a face others would like to see, keeping her true self reserved for close friends – and enemies who crossed her.  
Linking minds, Dani Moonstar initiated telepathic communication with Rahne Sinclair. Ordinarily, they could only do this when Rahne was in lupine or semi-lupine form, but this had begun to change since their arrival at the Academy. Rahne’s mind had adopted a more feral aspect, even as her physical features had grown more attractive. This change in her mind made it possible for Dani to reach her telepathically since one of Dani’s powers was to communicate with animals.  
::Rahne, did you hear about the mission some of the Hellions went on last night,:: Dani communed.  
::Yes,:: Rahne responded. ::Sharon told me about it.::  
::I heard she killed some bodyguard.::  
::Marie-Ange did that. Sharon made the kill quick and clean so that the man didn’t suffer.::  
::Do you believe her?::  
::I can tell if someone’s lying to me. The scent changes.::  
More than the change in Rahne’s psyche, Dani worried how easily she accepted the story. Rahne appeared not to have a problem with the very fact that Sharon had been on an assassination mission. She had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before Rahne went on such missions.

Once Mercedes had been settled in, Emma collected Adam. She sent ahead a telepathic message to the boys so they would all be dressed when she entered. It wouldn’t do for Adam to get the impression that she might casually stroll into the dorm regardless of whether or not they were clothed.  
Since they had advance notice, the eleven boys were already in the hallway waiting. Being a Saturday, none of them were in uniform – at least not yet – but they all had on at least a tee-shirt and pants.  
Frost gave a similar introduction of Adam to the one she had just given for Mercedes.  
“Good to meet you all,” Adam said.  
Like his sister, Adam had a dazzling smile and charming personality. Some accepted him at face value while others doubted his sincerity. Being in the good graces of Frost made most of them suspicious that he would be teacher’s pet.  
“Do we want someone like him around,” Roberto asked. “We can never be sure of his loyalties.”  
“I don’t know ‘Berto,” Sam replied. “He seems awful nice.”  
“He’s got a room to himself!”  
“Only because there’s no one to room with,” Doug said. “I’m sure he’ll have a roommate when – or if – we get another guy in the Hellions.”  
“We’re up to 27,” Sam remarked. “I bet Frost won’t stop there. She’s got to realize we’ll all graduate eventually so she’ll want to have more coming in all the time.”  
“An army of assassins,” added Roberto. “Who could stop her?”

The Hellions had a tendency to eat together at lunch, though not exclusively so. It was just that they had more in common with each other than with anyone else.  
During the entire lunch period, Rahne had her eyes glued to Adam. She thought he was beautiful and didn’t want to miss a moment of his movements. He caught her staring more than once. Rahne would turn crimson each time but Adam gave her a warm smile. He gave no indication that it bothered him or that he gloried in it, just that he might have been flattered.  
“You’ve got an admirer,” Mercedes whispered into his ear. “I don’t know if she’s pretty enough to sit at your arm.”  
“I can make my own decisions, Mercedes,” said Adam.  
“Oh, like running off with mummy? That was smart.”  
Adam rolled his eyes and turned his attention elsewhere. He gave Rahne one last wink before immersing himself in conversation with others.  
“He’s just so beautiful,” Rahne was saying. “And did you see how he smiled at me?”  
“You should stay away from him,” said Dani. “He belongs to Frost.”  
“Nonsense,” Sharon interjected. “Adam Ross-Stanton is gorgeous. I don’t sense any hidden agendas with him. For the most part, what you see is what you get. Anything underneath is typical for any person. Rahne could do far worse than him.”  
“Of course you’d say that. Frost found you on the streets after you’d been raised by cats. How would you know?”  
Sharon and Rahne both tried to suppress laughs but failed to do so. They were giggling like children who shared a secret.  
“Oh, Dani,” Rahne laughed.  
“I always love to hear that one come back,” Sharon said with a laugh. “I come from a very wealthy family. When my powers first appeared I had little control. I was either a lavender cat, the larger transitional form or a rather ugly girl with features that hinted at the feline. My parents disowned me. I went to foster care but you can imagine how that went. I ended up on the streets living like a cat until Emma Frost found me. She coaxed me back to that ugly form and taught me that even that was partly transitional. All I had to do was focus on who I had been to fully regain my human form. As you can see, my true form is stunning.”  
“Is that what you’re doing to Rahne,” Dani asked.  
“She’s only teaching me what she was taught,” Rahne replied. “Sharon still thinks I haven’t fully transformed.”  
“Rahne, you’re a specific metamorph. You can’t just make yourself prettier!”  
“You’re right about that, Dani,” said Sharon. “But even you know that the change is by degrees, even if you don’t notice all of them. Rahne’s features were angular and her hair perpetually short and spiky, both remnants of the wolf. It never grew, another sign that she was in a locked form. Now her hair has grown longer and her features are more rounded, not to mention that her breasts are developing quite nicely. She’s still not done.”  
“It’s true, Dani,” said Rahne. “If I hadn’t made it happen on my own I’d never have believed it.”  
“That’s bull! Wouldn’t Professor Xavier – or even Dr. MacTaggert – have known?”  
“Who says they didn’t,” Sharon responded. “Just consider how little he did for Rogue. Before the X-Men disappeared, was Rogue ever able to safely touch anyone? Sam’s control over his flight has improved incredibly and Roberto can store energy for longer periods than in the past. Why is that?”  
“We’re just getting older.”  
“Wrong. Xavier was concerned more with your development as people than teaching you to control your powers. That’s fine but he shouldn’t have left any of you unaware of your potential. Say what you want about Frost – and I know you have plenty to say – but she will find whatever power is inside of you and make you learn to use it.”  
“She’s evil. She did terrible things to us and the X-Men.”  
“I won’t argue with what she’s done but how have you been treated since you came here? I know you’re here under protest, and I agree that her methods suck on that end, but how is it actually being here? Does Ms. Frost treat you cruelly or any different than any other student on campus?”  
“Well, no, but…”  
“I know you don’t want to believe it but Ms. Frost doesn’t want to be your enemy. She wants to nurture your talents – admittedly for her own reasons – but in no way does she want to keep us down. If anything, as students of a world-renowned prep school, she wants us to succeed. How would it look if her students didn’t go on to become exceptional individuals?”  
“You’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?”  
“Look, I’ll make a deal. You take one month from today and pay close attention to what’s going on. If you can honestly say that things are bad here than I won’t try to change Rahne anymore. We could even do a room switch.”  
“Sharon,” Rahne cried. “How could you say that?”  
“Because I’m confident I’ll win. Deal?”  
“Deal,” said Dani, and the two shook on it.

A knock came at Emma Frost’s office door. It was unusual because no one ever got that far without her administrator announcing that someone was there to see her. Reaching out telepathically, Emma sensed a mind but the thoughts were almost transparent. It was quite difficult to get anything other than surface thoughts.  
“Come in, Katherine,” Frost said aloud.  
The door opened and Kitty Pryde walked in. Emma could see that her administrator was missing. Noting the time, she realized this was when Terrance went for coffee every day. Did Kitty know that schedule or had she simply waited for his departure before entering?  
Kitty took a seat without invitation.  
“I want to talk more about our agreement,” Kitty said.  
“Go on,” Emma responded.  
“I want to make a deal with you.”  
“I’m listening.”  
“I’ll lead your next mission. Whatever it is, whoever we have to kill, I’ll do it.”  
“I am pleased to hear you say that. Of course, I intend to groom you for better but that is a good place to start.”   
“I want something in return,” Kitty said. “I want you to drop all the threats. No one’s family or friends or whoever you threaten us with is to be endangered anymore. If I’m supposed to be your protégé I think you should listen to me on this one.”  
Emma sighed and removed her glasses, placing them on her desk. In truth, she was discovering she needed them less now than in the past. Improved eyesight wasn’t necessarily unusual but this occurred rather quickly.  
“I would like to make this deal, Katherine, but I’m afraid I cannot.”  
“Why not?”  
“Last month, after you agreed to become my protégé and to keep your friends in line, I removed all agents placed around your loved ones.”  
“You’re kidding. Why would you do that? More importantly, why didn’t you tell us?”  
“I decided to trust you. You told me you would keep the New Mutants’ behavior to acceptable levels and I chose to believe you. The reason I said nothing was because I wished to maintain my advantage, even if it was a farce.”  
Kitty said nothing. She was trying to process this information. It went against everything she knew of the White Queen and the Hellfire Club. Could it be true? Looking back at her time at the Academy, Kitty realized they had never been treated poorly. Even the telepathic blasts she had been known to use on her original students when they were disappointing to her hadn’t occurred – or if they did, she never saw it. The truth was that Emma had nothing to gain by lying; in fact, she had more to lose.  
“I understand this may be difficult for you to believe. You see me only as your adversary. Realize that when Charles Xavier and the X-Men disappeared, we no longer had reason to be enemies.”  
“I believe you, even if I don’t believe I’m saying these words.”  
“Incidentally, excellent work on shielding your thoughts. It is a tremendous improvement over your attempts when you first met the Hellions. In the future, I’d appreciate if you went through proper procedures. Protégé or not, you are still a student and I am the headmistress. Is that clear?”  
“Yes, Ms. Frost.”  
Emma smiled at Kitty. It was without doubt a genuine sentiment.  
“I still want you to lead the next mission.”  
“What?”   
“If you are to join the Hellfire Club when you graduate, you must be a leader. The best way to do so is for you to gain leadership experience. I know this is going to be difficult but rest assured that I will not send the Hellions to kill anyone that the world would regret losing. I would also like to make you Head Girl but I haven’t sufficient reason to take the post from Jenny. However, Manuel is no longer suitable, not after that debacle last month. I have an idea of who might replace him.”  
“James?”  
“Exactly. He is loyal to me and well-liked by Xavier’s former students.”  
“One suggestion. Don’t put Manuel in the same room as Bo, or any other student for that matter. Bo does not like him at all and he’s close to Fabian.”  
“What do you suggest? I’m not putting him with Adam. The boy can hold his own, but not with an empath of Manuel’s strength.”  
“Leave things the way they are. You could ask James if he wants his own room but I don’t think he minds rooming with Bo. One more thing. Manuel might want to do this again. Maybe a power dampener in his room would provide some protection for the rest of us.”  
Emma nodded.  
“Once again, I am trusting your judgment.”  
“I won’t forget that.”

“Dude, I can’t believe you’re Head Boy,” said Bo. “Manuel’s got to be pissed.”  
“Even Ms. Frost couldn’t let the incident with Tyler and Christopher slide,” James replied. “I’m surprised she waited this long to do anything.”  
Bo nodded in agreement. Manuel had participated in two incidents in the prior month, one near-rape and the other a true rape. Using his empathic powers, Manuel forced others to behave in ways they would not normally do. He had proven to be far more powerful than anyone might have expected. Were he not such an asset in that regard, Frost would surely have deprived him of his powers permanently – rather than for just a week – and sent him on his way. That assumed she even let him live.  
“I guess you’ll be moving out. I’ll probably end up with Adam.”  
“Well… if you don’t mind, Ms. Frost said I could stay here. She doesn’t want Manuel rooming with anyone else. I could have my own room but I’m pretty comfortable here. I’d do fine in my own room but in here I know you’ve got my back.”  
Bo clasped James’s hand and gave him a bro hug.  
“Always, buddy.”

“You want me to get in trouble, don’t you,” said Kitty.  
She said this words with a smile on her face. Doug had reprogrammed the computers so that security systems ignored him while he walked through the campus to the girls dorm. Doug had known Dani, would be out and planned to be there in her absence. Right now, Doug was lying on Kitty’s bed, arms and legs splayed. He wore a white button-up shirt under his sweater, but the collar wasn’t tucked in, nor were the tails of his shirt.  
Doug sighed. He had that dreamy look on his face that he always had around Kitty. In the past, Kitty hadn’t appreciated Doug, and certainly hadn’t looked at him as more than a friend. Things were different now and Kitty wanted Doug around for entirely different reasons than coding and hacking.  
“As long as I get to be with you, I’ll take the risk,” Doug said.  
Kitty grinned. Doug hadn’t said he was coming over tonight but she thought he might. His ears had perked up when he heard Dani say she and Sam were going for extra training in the Combat Room. It couldn’t be a coincidence that Doug showed up within five minutes of Dani’s departure. Knowing he was coming, Kitty also decided that if things went a certain way then her relationship with Doug was going to move beyond that of simple friendship.  
Doug got up and repositioned himself so that he was sitting against the wall with his legs lying straight out on the bed. Kitty took the cue and lay between his legs, resting the back of her head on his crotch. It could have been innocent if they didn’t have feelings for one another but Doug had to realize she was telling him that she was ready.  
“Frost isn’t holding the New Mutants in ransom anymore,” Kitty began. “She said she stopped last month after I agreed to be her protégé. The only reason she never said anything was because she wanted to milk their fear as long as she could. I told Illyana and Dani and they’ve probably both passed it on by now.”  
“That’s cool,” Doug replied. “I kind of thought she would have dropped it anyway. It was just a way to get you guys here.”  
“And you?”  
Doug shrugged.  
“Face it Kitty. With Xavier gone, I was going to end up here anyway.”  
“She screwed with your head when we came here for you to check out the school!”  
“I know,” said Doug. “Ms. Frost told me how she made me think you were with me so that I wouldn’t realize you were gone, and that I saw what I wanted to see. She also restored my memory since there’s no reason to hide what had happened to me anymore.”  
“When did she do that?”  
“About a week after we got here.”  
“How come you never said anything,” Kitty asked.  
“I let myself be fooled into thinking you liked me as more than a friend. I mean, Ms. Frost told me the details of our phantom date were all supplied by me. I realized that, you know, you only saw me as a good friend. It was embarrassing and I wasn’t going to push it with you.”  
Kitty was quiet. She was surprised Emma had done all of that but very impressed with his restraint. Doug didn’t want to push her, having figured out that she had loved Colossus. If anything happened it wouldn’t be on the rebound.  
Making a decision, Kitty rolled over and got on her knees. Then she stood and pushed Doug’s legs together before sitting on them so she could face him. Her face drew close to his.  
“I just want you to know,” Kitty breathed. “That things have changed.”  
Then she kissed him. Doug didn’t resist. He’d wanted this for so long and from where Kitty was sitting she knew the kiss was having an effect on him. Doug also realized she had to feel it and tried to reposition himself. Kitty stopped him, rubbed his bulge a little, and kissed him even harder. It was her way of saying it was okay, even if nothing was going to come of it that night. Finally, after minutes with lips locked, they broke apart.  
“Kitty, I--”  
“It’s okay,” Kitty interrupted. “It’s only natural for a teen boy who’s finally getting what he wants.”  
“That’s not it,” Doug said, though he did try to adjust his uncomfortable bulge. “I just want to know this is what you want. I don’t need you to do this for me.”  
“It’s not for you, Doug. It’s for me. Last month in the boys bathroom, I saw your body for the first time. You’re so well developed and you had a lot of confidence. You weren’t embarrassed I was there and you took the lead in helping Mark.”  
“It was the right thing to do,” Doug replied.  
“Yeah, and that’s what impressed me. I knew you were doing it for him instead of me. It was a selfless act. All Sam and Roberto could think about was that a girl was in the boys bathroom. I think that’s when I started to fall for you.”  
“Remember when we first met,” Doug asked.  
“Yeah.”  
“I think I fell for you about five minutes after that.”  
Kitty giggled. She hadn’t done that in a long time. Everything had been so hectic and so serious since she left Salem Center for Doug’s tour of the Academy. She couldn’t help feeling that if she hadn’t gone with Doug she’d be lost or dead with the rest of the X-Men. Now, though, she felt good. It was nice.  
Doug moved so that he was stretched out on the bed. It was only a single but Kitty managed to snuggle next to him. They began kissing again. As it went on, they started to grope. Kitty ran her hands across Doug’s solid abs. In fact, when her hands wandered down, Kitty had to admit she liked the hardness in Doug’s pants. Peter hadn’t been like that. He was a little older and a little calmer, not prone to erections he didn’t want.  
When Doug moved his hand up Kitty’s sweater, she didn’t resist. He was only touching her stomach. Then his hands ran up to her breasts, kneading them softly. Kitty froze up. Doug hadn’t done anything she wasn’t doing to him, maybe even less, but it got her worried.  
“What’s wrong,” Doug asked.  
“I just—I’m not ready to, you know… Not yet.”  
“Me neither,” said Doug. “Plus, I’m really not ready since I didn’t bring any protection. I just want to touch you, feel you.”  
Kitty noticeably relaxed. Doug had obviously wanted to start something with her but didn’t even leave the possibility open that they might have sex. It was yet another sign that she had made the right choice.  
Showing her confidence in him, Kitty led Doug’s hand back up to her breast. It felt good to her and he enjoyed the touch. She also put her hand down to his crotch, rubbing his erection through his pants. Kitty had no intention of taking it out—at least not tonight—but that didn’t mean she couldn’t play.  
The more this play went on, the deeper Doug’s breath became. Finally, he grabbed her arm to make her stop.  
“You’ve got to stop,” he said.  
“What? Why?”  
“Because if you don’t…”  
“Oh! I’m sorry!”  
“No! It’s okay! I just don’t want it to happen right now.”  
“Messy.”  
Doug grinned.  
“That too.”  
“Maybe we should stop. I wouldn’t mind if you just held me.”  
Kitty turned around so Doug could wrap an arm around her waist. He was still hard but soon relaxed. It was nice just lying there with him. It might have even been nicer than it had been with Peter. He hardly ever took her advances seriously. Kitty also had to admit that Peter was never going to relate to her on some levels. He was nice and handsome but he wasn’t her intellectual equal. Doug was a match for her in age, interests and smarts. He would never be beefy like Peter but he was well-toned. He could also talk to her about anything. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she would have missed out on something great if she’d never gotten together with Doug.  
Both of them drifted into a state where they were only partly awake when the door opened. It was Dani, and she had brought Sam back with her. Kitty and Doug jumped as though they’d been shocked.  
“Ooh, sorry to interrupt,” Dani apologized. “If I’d known, I would have stayed out.”  
“It’s okay,” Kitty said, rubbing her eyes. “We were just relaxing.”  
“Is that all,” Sam asked.  
“Dude, you woke us up,” said Doug. “And we’re dressed. It’s okay.”  
“Sorry again,” Dani said. “Sam and I wanted to talk to you anyway.”  
“About what,” asked Kitty.  
Dani looked at Doug. She had things to say but wasn’t sure she could say them around him. As much as Dani liked Doug – and it was obvious that he and Kitty had paired up – she didn’t know if she could trust him. He wasn’t part of the Xavier crowd.  
Doug didn’t need to be a genius to know what Dani was thinking. It probably didn’t help that he thought they overreacted about a lot of things, even if the situation made it understandable.  
“I’ll go,” Doug said.  
“No, you won’t,” Kitty said, grabbing Doug’s arm. “I promise you guys that Doug is trustworthy. He helped Mark while Sam and Roberto grumbled over me seeing them naked – or nearly so.”  
“That’s not fair,” said Sam.  
“Sam, Mark was dying. Doug didn’t even hesitate. I understand you were nervous but I’d be willing to stake my life on Doug. Frost likes Doug. So what? She likes me, too. And, Doug, why don’t you tell them…?”  
“My power isn’t just languages,” said Doug. “I see patterns, too. I’ve learned to devote part of my mind to put what I notice together. It makes it more difficult to read my surface thoughts. A deep scan won’t stop a telepath but my thoughts tend to be my own.”  
“Are you saying your thoughts won’t give anything away to Frost about what we might say,” Dani asked.  
“Not only that,” Kitty replied. “But Doug knows how to disable all of the security systems. If we ever need to sneak out for any reason, that will help.”  
Dani nodded. She saw that Doug presented a huge tactical advantage, far more than she ever would have guessed. He had also loved Kitty for a long time.  
“Okay,” Dani said. “Sam?”  
Sam shrugged. He didn’t have any particular problems. Roberto liked him, even though he thought Doug defended the Academy too much. Maybe Doug was smarter than they all thought. If he seemed trustworthy to Frost it made him a perfect spy. Of course that could work both ways.  
“I guess so,” Sam answered. “I don’t have any reason to object. He probably would have gone to Xavier’s if it were still open.”  
“Great,” Kitty said with a smile. “Now that we’ve settled that, what did you guys want to talk about?”  
“I think we’re losing Rahne,” said Dani. “She’s spending all of her time with Sharon and now she’s got her eye on Adam Ross-Stanton. Both of them are in Frost’s good graces. I’m not worried about you, Kitty, because I know you made a deal with her to protect us. I can respect that. The problem is really our psychic link. The more Rahne changes, the more I sense her thoughts in human form. If she aligns with some of the less trustworthy Hellions, I could be an open book.”  
“Then we need to figure out who to trust,” Kitty said. “Probably Mark, Bo, James, Amara and Illyana.”  
“What about Bobby,” Sam asked.  
Kitty took a deep breath. This wasn’t something she wanted to say just yet but it was going to come out soon enough.  
“Emmanuel DaCosta is about to become the White Rook of the Inner Circle.”  
Shocked looks appeared on the faces of Dani and Sam. Doug didn’t really have any special knowledge of the DaCosta family, unlike the others who had been in the New Mutants.  
“I hate to say it,” Kitty continued. “But Roberto is a lot like his father. He’s also now got a hereditary membership in the Hellfire Club, and to some extent the Inner Circle. Maybe it will work to our advantage but just right now I’d prefer to wait and watch.”  
“Fine,” said Dani, who was clearly unhappy about it. “Why Amara and not Angelica?”  
“Angelica’s too weak-willed, at least right now. If that changes I’d say yes. As for Amara – the other new member of the Inner Circle is Selene Gallio.”  
“Selene? That can’t be,” Dani shouted. “I saw her die!”  
“Looks like she survived. She’s nominally Black King’s Knight but Emma thinks she’ll be a queen before long. I’m sure you can guess that Amara won’t like that.”  
“That’s a heck of an understatement,” said Sam.  
“Here’s the thing. Amara is ambitious and could fit in with elitists pretty easily. The difference is that she’ll be opposed to our enemies.”  
“Maybe not Frost,” Doug said. “Not if she and Selene are rival queens.”  
“I hadn’t thought of that. Okay, scratch Amara for now.”  
“I guess I’ll just have to keep a tighter grip on my thoughts,” Dani said.  
“Good idea,” another voice said.  
From out of the shadows came the form of Illyana Rasputin. She had lately learned to suddenly appear without benefit of the flashy stepping discs. She also liked to spy on conversations.  
“Glad you’re here,” said Kitty.  
“When I felt you getting startled, I looked in,” Illyana said. “Everything was okay but I couldn’t get away from Marie-Ange – at least not without her figuring out what I was doing.”  
“How’d you scry without water or a mirror,” Dani asked.  
“A neat trick I learned. Our eyes are always lubricated with water. I can use that little bit to scry without anyone knowing.”  
“How’d you figure that out,” Sam asked.  
“Marie-Ange and I have been studying mystic texts. I, uh, ‘borrow’ them from different places and return them when we’re done. I saw a reference to someone using spit. I figured, why not other water in the body? It’s really weird but cool at the same time. Since I’ve got a permanent spell regarding Kitty’s safety and stuff, I knew something was going on.”  
“What else do you know,” Doug asked.  
Illyana grinned and put a hand on Doug’s shoulder.  
“I kept hoping Piotr would come home,” Illyana responded. “I’ve spent a lot of time looking for him but I can’t find a trace, not even when I go back to the time and place. Whatever took them is powerful enough to remove all traces of their existence.”  
Illyana’s eyes began to glisten.  
“Anyway, I want Kitty to be happy. That’s all that counts. Doug, you make her happy. I always liked you but now I even have more reason.”  
“Thanks. I like you, too,” Doug responded. “I don’t know your story. Kitty said it wasn’t her place to talk about it but I got it that some terrible things happened to you.”  
“Only Kitty and Dani know anything at all. And Mark, I guess.”  
“Just don’t withdraw from us,” Dani said.  
Illyana nodded her head.  
“The only people I trust in the world are in this room – and Mark. He accepted why I broke up with him and never tried to force me to stay with him or use anything I told him against me. There was no grudge.”  
“Why did you break up with him,” Sam asked. “You two seemed to get along pretty well.”  
“It’s private. Someone told me something I shouldn’t have known and it changed my feelings. He didn’t do anything wrong… more like something wrong was done to him. I just wasn’t prepared to deal with it, not after everything else that had just happened.”  
“You trust him?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Kitty, too,” said Doug. “The only ones I don’t like are Manuel, Christopher and Tyler. I think Haroun is kind of gross but mostly because I don’t think he washes as much as he should. I don’t like to stand near him. Sam, I feel really bad for you having to live with him.”  
“I guess I got used to it.”  
“Okay,” said Dani. “The situation is that the Inner Circle is getting new members and that one of them is a known enemy. We trust a total of six people, most of us here. Where does that leave us?”  
“It leaves us here, together,” said Illyana. “I am going to tell you about myself. Not right now, and probably not all at once, but soon. If we’re going to trust each other it has be completely.”

In a private chamber inside the Hellfire Club in Manhattan, a gathering of the elite came together. These were not ordinary members, but the cream of the crop, those who had no equal. They ruled the Hellfire Club and, to lesser degrees, all those beneath them. In this room were the Lords Cardinal and those privileged other members of the Hellfire Club who were allowed to view the proceedings.  
Behind a dais stood a man with brown hair and a light beard on his face. Though relatively young, Roman Abramovich was the eighth richest person in the world with a net worth of over 21 billion dollars. No one else in the room even came close to that accomplishment, and he did it all without any fortune to start him on his way. It was for perhaps this reason that Abramovich became the Lord Imperial of the Hellfire Club, who stands above all of the other Lords Cardinal.  
Flanking Abramovich were Sebastian Shaw, the Black King , and Emma Frost, the White Queen. Typically, there was only ever one king or queen present at a time, though there had been exceptions. Nearby were the rotund Black Bishop, Harry Leland, the ashen-haired White Bishop, Donald Pierce, and Tessa Nile, the Black King’s Knight. A handsome teenager was also present. Unlike the others in the room, he was not dressed in Victorian garb. His clothing and style were nevertheless impeccable. Some believed the Lord Imperial was grooming him for a position in the Lords Cardinal.  
Standing just inside the doorway were Selene Gallio, Emmanuel DaCosta and Friedrich von Roehm. The men had been members of the Inner Circle for years but were now being elevated to the Lords Cardinal. Selene was entirely new and her entrance to the Lords Cardinal in this manner was entirely unprecedented. Why the Lord Imperial allowed it was unknown to any of them.  
“My lords, ladies and gentlemen of the Inner Circle,” Abramovich began. “Allow me to present to you our newest candidates for admission into the Lords Cardinal: Emmanuel DaCosta as our White Rook, Friedrich von Roehm as the Black Rook and Selene Gallio as a potential Black Queen.”  
Selene smiled, clearly thinking herself as the star of the show. She wore a black leather corset. It was not in the style of Emma or Tessa, but Selene’s centuries of whatever constituted high society taught her that she could not dress like a whore. The men clothed themselves nicely so why should the women act as eye candy?  
“Like us,” the Lord Imperial continued. “They have no liking for the place modern society has left us. No matter our origins, we were born to rule. Our power and wealth are testament to our fitness. And through the Inner Circle we shall!”  
Abramovich held up a ceremonial cup that had been sitting on the dais. The golden cup was filled with wine. Taking it, Roman handed it to Selene.  
“As Lord Imperial, I, Roman Abramovich, offer the Cup of Fellowship! Drink from it. It shall form bonds both material and spiritual that can never be broken!”  
Drinking deeply from the cup, Selene passed it on to DaCosta. He and von Roehm each, in turn, drank the wine. When complete, Roman took the Cup of Fellowship and placed it back on the dais.  
“It is done,” thundered Abramovich. “Bid them welcome, brethren! May they prosper in our company as we no doubt shall in theirs!”  
With the ceremony complete, all were free to mingle. Selene found herself another glass of red wine and approached Shaw.  
“A beautiful speech by Gospodin Abramovich,” Selene said. “It is a most charming ceremony.”  
“Thank you, madam,” Shaw replied stiffly.  
Shaw knew that she was mocking both him and the entire rite. She was ambitious and her manner said she had every intention of replacing him as head of the New York branch of the Hellfire Club. Her background was a mystery, something patently obvious when perusing the dossier provided by con Roehm. He was going to keep his guard up around her. Shaw wouldn’t have worried overmuch except that she seemed to have a prior connection to Abramovich. He would have to find a way to exploit that knowledge to his advantage.  
“I wish you much success.”  
Turning from Selene, Sebastian moved toward Emmanuel.  
“Congratulations, Emmanuel,” Shaw said, this time with sincerity. “I look forward to one day watching your son, Roberto, take his rightful place among us.”  
“I, too,” DaCosta said. “And soon!”  
Selene had made herself comfortable in a plush chair when approached from behind by the Lord Imperial. He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently.  
“It has been far too long, Lady Selene,” Roman said to her.  
“Indeed… Roman.” She said. “Amusing name.”  
“I did not choose it.”  
“Tell me of your protégé, Roman. He looks familiar to me. His eyes remind me of one of my children.”  
Roman looked over the boy with a critical eye.  
“If so, it is not recent,” Roman replied. “He is an orphan, that much I know. I will have to explain some of the more unusual aspects of his upbringing soon.”  
“I sense power in him.”  
“As do I. He pretends to fear nothing, but you know full well that such things cannot be hidden from me.”  
“Then he is dangerous.”  
“Very.”  
Selene smiled.  
"Perhaps one day he will serve as my king.”  
The two shared a laugh. It was not a cheerful one, perhaps more sinister than anything else.  
Across the room, the boy watched the scene. Nothing in his eyes or body movements betrayed him but he knew whatever plots they were making involved him. That was their first mistake

End


End file.
